Wife & TL

[Johnny Lee]

Top Ten, No way not coca cola, did enough damage to my teethe on the Choc. digestive.

Owl lady DO NOT turn up to one of my gigs in your bright turquoise yellow and pink shell suit from Asda xx.

Good Banter.

[Johnny Lee]

I have managed to start a new page. does that mean Iv'e turned over anew leaf ?

[johnerebus]

Johnny lee - Yes it does - and if you were standing on a dictionary reciting Shakespeare when you posted, it also becomes a play on words

[Ragged Robin]

UK was the only country where women were given the State Pension earlier than men, even though life expectancy for women was longer than men. So, over the past few years some friends of mine have had to wait until 62/63/64/65 in order to claim it. We wanted equality, we got it in that respect.

Perhaps because , before the "new man" was invented many women were doing two full time jobs - looking after house and family young and old, as well as "paid" work - and it was considered by age 60 they needed and deserved a rest from at least one of them


The UK allows you to pay a yearly payment to make up the years you haven't contributed to the pension, even though you are not living in the country . Maybe something to think about instead of wishing you were somewhere else - finances allowing of course.

I did! Years ago.

The fact remains that before 2004 I was able to live a comfortable and happy , if simple, life (including running a small basic car ) and keep two or three stray dogs on my state pension and some earnings here, and save all my occupational pension and a small investment income for a rainy day. Every year since the border was opened and the demography of the expat population changed, the amount I have been able to save has decreased as has my standard of living. Now I am living up to my income and face havingto deplete savings intended for medical emergencies and comfort when I get really old. I strongly resent the suggestion that people who after years of living here are forced to face return to the UK as a strange country (plus paying private health care for months) because the goalposts have changed, have been improvident.

Now if they refunded the NHS contributions and tax I have paid for 18 years without any benefit, I could live very comfortable indeed - might even be able to keep warm enough in winter!